Medical imaging technologies can be used to assess various health conditions of patients. Medical imaging technologies can vary widely in cost and portability, ranging from relatively inexpensive ultrasound to more costly methods such as computed tomography (CT) scans and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The portability of CT and MRI imaging systems is limited, making access to such imaging technology difficult for certain members of the population and in certain circumstances. While ultrasound technology is relatively inexpensive and portable, its use can be limited when either bone or gases obscure the target area of interest.
Magnetic induction tomography imaging can be used to image electromagnetic property distributions (e.g. conductivity or permittivity) within human tissues. More particularly, magnetic induction tomography techniques can provide for the low cost, contactless measurement of electromagnetic properties of human tissue based on eddy currents induced in tissues by induction coils placed adjacent to the tissue. Existing techniques for magnetic induction tomography imaging typically involve the placement of a large number of coils (e.g. a coil array) near the sample and building an image based upon the measured mutual inductance of coil pairs within the large number of coils placed near the specimen. For instance, an array of source coils and an array of detection coils can be placed adjacent the specimen. One or more of the source coils can be energized using radiofrequency energy and a response can be measured at the detection coils. The conductivity distribution (or permittivity distribution) of the specimen can be determined from the response of the detection coils.